Hello from across the pond! Searching for a 240z

[240260280]

I think 03-77 if my memory is correct.

[siteunseen]

My 09/'76, titled as a '77 had an N47 head with oiler cam and spray bar.

I'll be using those cam towers, spray bar and reground oiler cam on my E31 head with the high flow oil pump SOMEDAY. 

[Woody928]

On 7 July 2017 at 2:41 PM, 240260280 said:

 

Absolutely... "belts and braces" racing trick.  Some also enlarge the orifice in the oil passage feeding the head to provide more top-end lubrication.

Glad to hear that 

On 7 July 2017 at 4:32 PM, Mark Maras said:

 The 2.4's and 2.6's? used the spray bar. I don't know the exact changeover date.

Thanks for the info, ours is an L26 so it adds up. 

[Woody928]

Several more inserts from my recent adventures, stolen from my UK thread for those interested. 

 

With fast road and Europe in mind we’re now in full swing piecing everything together to completely bring our suspension setup into the 21st Century. Rather fortunately my parents have had a last minute trip out to California where they were they were quite literally passing Techno Toy Tunings front door. A very last minute phone call the day after (4th July public holiday) when they reopened first thing in the morning and by chance they had all the bits I was after in stock. Order completed and all parts collected just before closing my dad even got a quick tour of the workshop the lucky sod!

 

Some duffle bags packed later and we’ve certainly saved a few quid on shipping to say the least with some seriously robust quality parts turning up on Friday afternoon on their arrival home. Very handy being able to get some extra hold luggage space on the way back.

 

We’ve decided to pick up some T3 Adjustable Lower Control Arms, T3 GTX2 Adjustable Front Lower Control Arms, Inner/Outer Tie rods and prothane steering rack bushes. I’ve only been able to have a brief look before to check it was all there before returning it to bubble wrap however the quality looks superb. All the remains on the suspension list for now is a Poly steering coupler to try and remove some more steering play, Anti Roll bar kit (1inch front ¾ rear) and suspension struts of some description. I think I’ve concluded coilovers will be the answer and will therefore be looking to source some suspension strut assembly’s to be sectioned however I’ve still not made my mind up as to who and how much. I may try and blag some rides in other members cars beforehand if possible, however it looks like I’m going to leave the current bits for one big swap and then only require one four wheel alignment and setup. It’s nice to say we’re finally doing something on our wish list for a change

 

Here’s a few pics for now anyway.

 

FullSizeRender (8) by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

FullSizeRender (9) by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

T3 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

T3.1 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

[Woody928]

Well it's long overdue that I got around to writing on here again, it's fair to say that there's been a lot of Z related work and plans going on for the last few months. Those of you on follow me on social media will have already had a sneak peak. Winter has not stopped the car from being used with it having been to Bicester's Sunday Scramble, Pistonheads runs, weekends away and all sorts.

 

The cars suspension overhaul has now been done with the setup finally decided upon. After lots of research and after weighing up the options we decided that BC Coilovers would be most suitable to our needs, having considered the performance vs the cost it made the most sense with money unfortunately having to be consideration. We also went slightly softer than BC recommended at 4/4KG or 225/225lbs which seems more than appropriate for road use. I would have loved to have gone to Intrax for a custom setup however the cost just couldn't be justified with the extra money needing to be spent in plenty of other areas.

 

Thanks to moggy I picked up a spare set of donor struts that could be cutup for my BC's to be welded onto making a straight swap out possible, and retaining my stock struts that can be rebuilt should it ever be desired. Having dropped the BC's to a good friend in Bexhill he sectioned, welded and powder coated the BC's ready for me to bring the car down so that I could make use of his lift and help to fit all of the T3 components, BC's, rear wheel bearings and a few items of poly in the steering rack to reduce the play I headed down for the day.

 

Over the course of a Friday and Saturday morning we managed to get everything dropped out and fitted up before getting the ride height roughly set, the alignment was made as accurate as possible using a tape measure to get the car on the road and home. Having previously contemplated completing the job at home I was immensely grateful of the high lift and fully kitted out workshop, along with my friend Patrick's knowledge. Without which the job would have been a complete nightmare and impossible to complete, plenty of machines, power and air tools which made various jobs a breeze. Even being able to clean up, ultrasonic cleand and powder coat the brake shields before re-fitting. Amazingly and to our surprise both spindle pins came out really easily after hearing all of the horror stories. As expected with the alignment completely out the car was a royal pig driving home nearly 80 miles in the rain, via a few small scares it made it home in one piece. 

 

Some pics from the job anyway:

 

IMG_5254 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

New vs Old

IMG_5248 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5252 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5259 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5261 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5271 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5266 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5274 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5278 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

Poly UJ to get rid of the deteriorating rubber

IMG_5286 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

The spares heap for restoration another day

IMG_5291 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

Promptly booked into Wheels in Motion in Chesham having chatted to Tony who setup the company himself and trains people in alignment setups around the country I was confident I was in safe hands having had them setup my cars before. Having survived another 40 mile journey we chatted about the cars intended uses, and our goals before the guys got to work. As expected with everything being brand new it could be setup like a dream. The nice thing being that any desired alterations or characteristics I want changed can be made free of charge if I return again having become accustomed to the car. The guys were extremely complimentary of the T3 and BC setups and complimented that it was nice to see the job being done properly. Being a busy site, the car stopped various customers, a local classic car restorer and the workshop guys all of whom wanted to stop and chat and take photos of the car. 

 

Having got it on the ramps and checked by the lazers the guys thought it was a miracle I even got to them bearing in mind how far out everything was, while there I also got all four wheels rebalanced having not had them checked since the car first arrived in to my ownership. Unsurprisingly they were all out so we started a fresh. Setup complete per the settings below the car was at least ready for a weekend at the Goodwood 76th Members Meeting.

 

IMG_5354 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5491 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5492 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

[Woody928]

(Post starts on page before) Despite feeling somewhat rubbish having been getting over a virus we were accepted to take part in the members parade on Saturday morning, which while it was very much a parade was good fun. I got to at least open the car up along the pit straight out of the chicane and we heard our car being talked out over the radio so will be on the look out for the days coverage when it gets released by Goodwood. We also managed to blag circuit parking on the Sunday given how shocking the car park fields were there was no way we wanted to go anywhere near them so the car got some more expose and a fair bit of attention as well. With the weekends awful weather it was also the first snow the car has seen with us which made for some good pictures!

 

IMG_5355 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5408 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5410 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5437 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

 

IMG_5422 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

 

IMG_5464 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5465 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

All cleaned up briefly from the weekend before being put away

 

IMG_5468 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

Its fair to say the cars handling has transformed beyond belief and can now attack corners with far more speed and confidence, the BC's are set at very soft settings to keep things compliant so overall we're very happy with the results. Also having the adjustability that comes with the T3 control arms has meant the car is really sharp and responsive in a way that it never was. The only issues now to combat are the 1cm of play in the steering, which is linked to a worn lower UJ in the steering column. Some squeaky polybushes from the rear control arms are driving me made though!

 

With the weather being the way it has though we've still not had a proper opportunity to really take the car out and put it more through its paces to get dialed in and familiarise ourselves with the changes. We had hoped to add anti roll bars in at the same time however unfortunately couldn't tie them in with the planned works, given the delay I've been talked into now going with Suspension Techniques anti roll bar kit which mounts off of the rear diff. In hindsight this seemed more appropriate rather than drilling holes in the chassis with no rear mounts fitted being an earlier car. On that note a big shout out to Mike and Chris on here who are both helping me out big time with getting them across the atlantic without incurring the extortionate postage quote that I received! They'll get put on in the coming months with other planned work. 

 

Any thoughts on the ride height? I'm thinking the rear could come still down a tad?

IMG_5294 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

As usual I've said enough so I'll stop here, I am already working on the next stage of the project so more details will follow shortly!

Edited March 31, 2018 by Woody928

[wheee!]

Awesome sauce! Looks great and I have a similar setup going into my build. Nice to hear you are happy with it!

[Woody928]

Well in other news, while the car has been stuck in the garage for the last few weeks owing to this miserable weather I've been making good progress with collecting parts for the transmission upgrade with things starting to fall in to place. My very mucky looking S14 gearbox turned up in the post today, will be talking about having it rebuilt with a local gearbox specialist tomorrow hopefully.

 

For those with this conversion I now have the gearbox and a 260Z five speed bell housing to be machined. I know that I'll need to modify/replace the gearbox mount and shorten the prop however is there anything else I should be getting? Just thinking silly little items such as a new Clutch fork boot as linked below? Is everything else reusable?

 

https://zcardepot.com/clutch-fork-boot-oem-240z-260z-280z-280zx-72-83.html

 

This has been my guide so far: http://zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/240SX5spd/Transmission2.htm

 

I've also since acquired a Subaru R180 3.9 Suretrac LSD, and am currently waiting on stub axel production in the US to get those on their way over. While doing the conversion I've been kindly reminded that this may be a sensible upgrade so will need to order one of those as well. The long parts list continues.

 

https://www.technoversions.com/DiffMountHome.html

 

I've also finally decided upon a flywheel and clutch combo and looked to Japan in the end following some very helpful input off of here. I've therefore got an OS Giken single plate clutch/flywheel on its way over. Weighing in at 10.7kg for the whole assembly I'm hoping the car will rev more freely and I'll have future proofed against any engine upgrades to come (rated to nearly 400bhp) while keeping a nice pedal pressure.

 

https://www.rhdjapan.com/os-giken-super-single-clutch-kit-aluminum-cover-gc10-hr30-c110-c210-s30-s130.html

 

As if there wasn't enough else going on back at the end of January I asked Ztherapy to put me on their waiting list so that I could completely refresh my carb setup with it more than showing its age in places. Hopefully as of May I'll have new carbs, euro style balance tube and fuel rail heading over the Atlantic to be fitted. I was tempted to use the opportunity to look into a triple carb setup of some description however looking at the cost implications, the fact that I only have a very stock engine setup and insurance implications (the joys of being young) I've strayed away for now. I'm hoping this will more than meet the cars current needs and when the time comes at a later date I can decide upon an engine and triple carb setup to suit.

 

Current plan is to have all of this done so that the car can be enjoyed to its full potential on its way down to the Le Mans Classic this year 

 

IMG_5575 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG_5563 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

Edited April 11, 2018 by Woody928

[siteunseen]

I think you'll be quite happy with ztherapy's dual SUs.  There's a Guy, , on here with a stable of high performance motors in his Zs all with SUs and says they provide fuel very well.  I have a slightly modified 2.4 and also run SUs, it pulls good to MY limit of 6,000 RPM.  I haven't gone over that on purpose but I may have hit 6,500?

That's a strange looking gearbox to me but I've not seen them all, apparently. 

Keep us up with your progress.  Love the pictures! 

[Woody928]

13 hours ago, siteunseen said:

I think you'll be quite happy with ztherapy's dual SUs.  There's a Guy, , on here with a stable of high performance motors in his Zs all with SUs and says they provide fuel very well.  I have a slightly modified 2.4 and also run SUs, it pulls good to MY limit of 6,000 RPM.  I haven't gone over that on purpose but I may have hit 6,500?

That's a strange looking gearbox to me but I've not seen them all, apparently. 

Keep us up with your progress.  Love the pictures! 

 

I'm really glad to hear that, I've only head good things about the guys! haha mine is in much need of that, the current setup really isn't working as well as it should be and is looking quite tired in a lot of respects. I'm hoping both the performance and economy will increase. They seem a solid option for fairly standard engines... 

I believe you call it a KA transmission in the states and it would be from your 240SX rather than our 200SX over in the UK. The bell housing will obviously go which will make it look a bit more familiar, however it should make it fantastic to drive compared to the long four speed that currently resides in the car. 

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that people are still reading and enjoying the thread! 

Edited April 12, 2018 by Woody928

[Woody928]

Well more news, some good and some bad. I'm definitely learning the joys of classic motoring having had my second breakdown in the car now. Enjoying some of the first sunshine we've had in months a few weeks back I completely lost the clutch on a short drive out. Fortunately being local at the time my dad got called out and the same tow rope that saved the car in Caen also towed me home this time.

 

Following investigation it turned out that the slave cylinder seals had failed and the cylinder was quite literally pissing clutch fluid all over the floor every time the clutch was being used. The pool of fluid on the lock up implied it had been leaking for a little while before the complete failure, we were just unaware. I also noticed salt attacking the new suspension from our unfortunate incident being stuck out in the Snow with Goodwood, having cleaned and oiled everything to halt any damage I've now picked up ACF50 which has been generously applied over all of the adjustable parts to attack/prevent any corrosion, and provide a layer between the parts and the road grime.

 

New OEM slave cylinder, master cylinder and slave cylinder hose ordered from the US which finally arrived last Friday in the hopes to have the car roadworthy for Doninigton. On Saturday we managed to get the new slave cylinder and hose fitted and bled the system to see if it fixed the car, the Haynes manual did us proud. While messing around I also got the BC spanners back out to mess around with the ride height to try and get the car more balanced from an aesthetics point of view. Also having the front end of the car flying in the air we got around to the long overdue task of removing the front bumper to detach the over riders before refitting the bumper, I need to get some 14mm blanking grommets however it already looks a lot smarter in my opinion.

 

A quick road test revealed the clutch was back in business and I thought we were back on track for Donington however the car was running rough and not firing on all cylinders, an oily plug cleaned up and that was resolved. Thinking we may be finally be in for a break to add insult to injury we now have a coolant leak from the front of the engine. I'm currently speculating that the water pump is on its way out however there's also some oil that's falling onto the alternator belt and being sprayed in the engine bay as well. We're therefore going to be getting some slightly more professional help with concerns over the engine.

 

While this is all being worked out and analysed I've heard last week on return from my holiday that the S14 gearbox we picked up has wear to the second gear and won't be suitable. I'm currently making various inquiries about replacement gearboxes or gear sets however no luck as of yet. The only positive news is we are running out of things to replace in the engine bay so fingers crossed it'll be all sorted for this summer!

 

A few pics, kind of forgot to take a few as I went However here's a few:

 

IMG-5935 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

Oily mess lurking below

IMG-5942 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

Out with the old and in with the new

IMG-5947 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

Low light, done for the day with the ride height adjusted and over riders removed

IMG-5967 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

IMG-5973 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

 

A question to those with far more knowledge, any ideas what this bronze shiny stuff is that has appeared in the rad? Should I be concerned?

IMG-5974 by Mark Woodrow, on Flickr

[SteveJ]

Welcome to Z car ownership.

I got to drive my 74 a lot this past week. However, on Wednesday, I was at Road Atlanta, and a friend was trying to help me adjust the striker plate for the door lock. Then the door lock broke. I had to borrow a car to drive home to steal the lock of my 73. 

It's frustrating when something breaks, but it feels SO good to fix it and get back on the road.

Check the pH of the coolant. It might be acidic. I hope it's not combustion gasses getting in.